Enduring Love
by QueenOfHearts3
Summary: UPDATED! Kiley gets an unwanted visit with Sae, and bad news about Momo & Toji. What's a long-absent Momo-admirer to do? KM, upgraded for some violent thoughts about Toji and certain events in later chapters
1. The Return

QoH: *grins broadly* Hiyas! Welcome to the sequel of "Sacrifice! Glad u guys made it. Heck, I'm glad _I_ made it lol Life's been kinda crazy lately, what with my new job and everythin, but I'm still determined 2 make time 2 write ^_^

Disclaimer: *groans* Oi, I hate these things... Of _course_ I don't own Peach Girl, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs a reality check. 'Sides, just cuz I have a job now doesn't mean ppl get 2 start suing me! Ok, then... I'm puttin up a general disclaimer 4 this entire fic! Anything you recognize from the manga (which is a bit difficult, since it's set way in the future) is NOT MINE, and anything you don't... well, duh, that IS mine, but frankly I don't care if anyone takes it. As long as u tell me, I give u permission 2 use whatever u want ^_^ What can I say? I'd like 2 know when ppl like my stuff well enough 2 use it themselves lol

_Enduring Love_

Chapter 1: The Return 

His dark, observant gaze flicking about, Kiley stepped off the bus hometown. A slight smile twitched on his lips; he found it hard to believe that he hadn't been there in over eight years. He strolled downtown, checking out the new sights. There were more people than there had been before, too. They were all rushing around, as if they stopped for even a moment, the world would end.

                He grinned, shaking his head as he hitched his duffel bag over his shoulder. He debated for a bit on whether or not to go to his parent's house. His mother had written to him the whole time he was at the Academy, and some later, when he was on tour and things. He still had the letters, and liked to read through them once in a while. Sentimental, he supposed, but she was the only one who understood among his family.

                Ryou was married now, to a girl he only knew of through those letters, which he carried with him now. She'd said the young miss Tera was very nice, and loved him to bits. He hoped Ryou had changed his tune over the near decade, though he kind of doubted it, which made him feel a bit sorry for the poor girl.

                His father... well, he and his father had never been really all that close to begin with, and the bitter separation those years ago didn't serve to make that connection any better. At first, his mother put in how he was doing and all, but when he refused to acknowledge that, she stopped writing about him almost entirely.

                _Have I been childish, acting like that? Kiley wondered, looking up at the blue sky. _Kami knows, I _do__ wonder how he is, but something stops me... He put that thought on hold when his stomach rumbled. He rolled his eyes and put his bag down, rummaging through it for some money. Coming up with only a little, after the bus ride, he muttered to himself, "Well, it looks like I'm going to have to get myself a job, and now."_

                Looking around, he wondered which place would be the best to try out first. Where he was at the moment seemed to busy, but didn't look like they needed help. He sighed, "Well, this is going to take a while, isn't it…" _I'd forgotten how hard it was to find a job, it's been so long since I've had one. One that didn't involve the military, that is._

                Kiley was still wandering around aimlessly when he came upon a loading dock by a small antique store. There was only this one tiny old man there, and he seemed to be struggling to put a large box in a delivery truck. He walked over and picked it up on the other side, smiling at him, "It looks like you could use some help here, sir."

                The man nodded, smiling back gratefully, "Yes, thank you, young man. My son would have helped me today, but he seems to have caught a nasty cold, and could not," he extended his hand, "I am Takeru Shiori, and this is my shop, 'Memory Lane.' It is a pleasure to meet you."

                He put it in the back of the truck, then turned back to him, shaking the proffered hand, "Kiley Okayasu, and likewise. I could stick around if you like, since you're short on the help; it's no problem."

"That would be nice, but don't you have somewhere more important to be?" he wondered, his alert, gray eyes flicking over his dark blue uniform.

"I just got into town, and I've just been walking all over for the past few hours looking for a job," Kiley grinned ruefully when his stomach made a loud protest, "As you can tell, I haven't eaten anything in some time, being that I don't have the money to buy anything."

                He laughed, beckoning him inside, "I made tea and egg rolls just before I came out here. It should be ready by now." When Kiley began to protest, he shook his head, "It is the least I can do for your assistance. Please, come."

                When they stepped into the slight shadows of the shop, he felt instant relief. Being out in the blazing summer sun all day had made him a little too warm for his liking, so he was quite glad for the air-conditioner that hummed over his head. Looking around, he saw, among other things, many grandfather clocks and several old-style desks and chairs. There was even a grand piano or two. All this would've made for quite a cramped space, if not for someone's extraordinary organizational skills. When he commented on this, the man grinned, raising his hand, "That would be my doing. You do not have store such as this for long without learning a few things like that."

                "No, I guess not." Kiley laughed and set down his teacup, leaning back in his seat as he ate a roll, "How long have you had it, anyway? Just out of curiosity."

                "Hm…" his companion cocked his bald head to the side as he thought, "I would think that it has been nearly fifty years since I first opened here."

                Kiley raised his brows in amazement, "That's quite a while."

                "Yes," he replied slowly, as though thinking back over the years, "My wife and I loved antiques. When our shop became successful, it was one of the happiest moments of our lives, next to our son and daughter being born, and getting married to each other, of course." A vague, wistful smile drifted across his face then, "Sadly, she passed away before our son came into the family business. How she would have loved to see that…"

                Not wishing to interrupt the elderly man's memories of the woman he so clearly still loved, he merely sat there for some time after he'd stopped talking. In that time, he thought about what their happy lives must have been like. He and Momo would have had a similar joyous journey together, he was sure. Yes, he still thought of her, still loved her. In fact, he'd never stopped, not for a moment. 

                Kiley twitched slightly when the man spoke up again, a small note of amusement in his voice, "I see that I am not the only one reminiscing. What is her name, my young friend?"

                He sighed, looking away, "Momo Adachi, or Mrs. Tojigamori, as she's known by these days…"

                "Ah," Mr. Shiori smiled in recognition, "You are a local boy, eh? I know the young lady, myself."

                Taking a deep, steadying breath, he wondered, wide-eyed, "How?"

                "She is one of my more frequent customers, in fact," he chuckled, "More often than not, she buys something just to make this old man happy. Though, I would be so simply by her presence."

                "She has that effect on people…" he smiled to himself, fiddling with a fine, gold chain around his neck.

                Mr. Shiori's eyes sparked in curiosity, noticing this, "What is that, if I may ask?"

                "Huh?" Kiley blinked and looked at him in surprise. Then, seeing his gaze, he pulled the necklace over his head and handed it to him, "This is the ring I never had the courage to give her."

QoH: *grins happily* Well, there u r, the 1st chappy! Don't worry, the next 1 WILL be up soon!


	2. Kiley, Community Service Worker

QoH: AH!!!!!!!! o_O Work's evil…. *shudders* 3 jobs now…. @_@

_Chapter 2: Kiley, Community Service Worker_

                The delicate ring sparkled in the shaft of light that shone from the small window beside them as Mr. Shiori held it up for closer inspection, "I have never seen it's equal, and coming from someone who has been in this business, that is no small compliment," he glanced up at him shrewdly, "This intertwining design of white gold and silver is quite original, as well as ingeniously made. The thread of silver seems to wind around the main part of the ring, as though protecting the gold. Specially made, I presume?"

                Kiley grinned a little, embarrassed, "I wanted to it be personal for her, not just something that could've gone to anybody, you know?" His smile faded, and he shrugged, "I guess I just keep it around as a memory. It's not like she'll ever wear it."

                "Hm," he murmured, seemingly to himself as he continued to study it, as though he hadn't heard a thing, "The diamond is small, true, yet flawless. Naturally, any real jeweler knows this is what counts."

                Kiley eyed him for a moment, wondering if there was a hidden message in there somewhere. _It kind of sounds like it, but what... "Yeah, I guess so. I just didn't want it too flashy, or anything. It didn't feel right."_

                "No, I do not imagine it would, not with what I have gathered about your love for her, my boy," he smiled slightly when his young companion's eyes sparked a little in surprise, "Yours is the forever love, the eternal flame that is so rare these days. My wife and I shared this same bond, so the signs are easily recognizable."

                "What signs?" Kiley wondered, a bit shocked that the man had seen so clearly through him. In the eight years since that day, he'd built a shell around himself, not willing to let anyone in. Not that anyone hadn't _tried_, of course. He assumed it was the appeal of the uniform, but the other guys in his unit didn't call him "Heartbreaker" for nothing. His friends in the squad had always teased him about how many women (and more often than not, that was two or three a day) asked after him. No, he knew he was no saint, and he couldn't say he hadn't been tempted at times, but he couldn't ever lead anyone on like that. He knew the pain of loving someone who didn't love him back, and he wouldn't take the chance of putting some poor girl through that, merely to soothe his lonely heart.

                "For one thing, you still wear 'her' ring next to your heart, though it has been years since you have even _seen her, signifying that she will always mean a great deal to you," he smiled as he pulled out a necklace of his own, "As you can see, I kept Kari's (A/N: Yes, I'm usin the 1st names from my 2 fave charries off Digimon lol Hey, gimme a break, I'm an American! I don't know that many Japanese names lol) ring in just the same place."_

                Kiley merely stared at him, at a complete loss as to how he could reply to _that_. It was all fine and dandy to daydream about what might have been, but now, confronted as he was by the physical evidence of the kind of relationship he might have had with Momo, it just plain _hurt_. Unable to bear the sight of those two rings side by side any longer, he stood and turned toward the window that faced the road, crossing his arms pensively.

                Mr. Shiori frowned and left the rings on the table to stand beside him, gazing out at the busy street, "I apologize for my carelessness. I did not mean to sadden you."

                The young soldier looked down and smiled faintly at him, "It's all right, Shiori-san. A memory of her lies in the very air I breathe, and every step I take I owe to her. Why should this be any different? Besides, you were thinking of your own Kari, as well. Where's the harm in that?"

                "How long has it been for you?" he asked in concern for his new friend.

                "Eight years, six months and three days, but who's counting?" Kiley grinned a little, a half-hearted attempt at his old attitude.

                The elderly man shook his head, chuckling at his response. "You have resilience. That is good."

                The tall, dark-haired man heaved a determined sigh and turned to look at him, a new strength in his eyes, "Yes, I do. Now, enough of this depressing subject. Where do you suggest I look for employment?"

                Mr. Shiori tilted his head thoughtfully, "Well, I would offer you a position here, but I am afraid that we are not in our most profitable season at this time, and do not have much to spare. However, they are going to renovate the community center a couple blocks away and they badly need the help, so I am told. I have no doubt you will be a blessing to them, as the only people who have applied there so far have notorious reputations. It is not in the best part of the city, but the children there need guidance desperately, and I sense that you are meant to give it."

                The first true smile in ages emerged on his face at this idea. He'd always thought kids were the greatest things since the invention of cheese (except Momo, of course, he laughed softly in his head), especially since he still quite often acted like one, himself. "Sounds like the place for me. I wonder if they have rooms for rent."

                "Oh, that will not be a problem. If you would like, you can stay with us in our guest room," his new mentor replied calmly, lifting a hand when Kiley opened his mouth to object, "It is no trouble, I assure you. If you feel you must repay us, all we ever ask of you is to help us here when you can. My son has wanted to travel more for some time, giving our shop more exposure. I am not as young as I once was, and up until now I have had to refuse his requests. You demonstrated earlier that you are both competent and careful. I trust you around here and I know my children will, also."

                Kiley nodded and bowed gratefully, "Arigato, Shiori-san. I will be honored to stay here."

_****_

                He glanced down at the paper where Mr. Shiori had written the directions, then back up at the neglected structure. _It looks more like an abandoned warehouse than anything_, he thought uncertainly, eyeing the broken windows and rusted playground equipment. He shrugged and decided to do some exploring. _Might as well dive in with both feet, then. I just hope this place doesn't collapse around me while I'm doing it._ Ducking under the sagging doorframe, Kiley attempted to peer through the shadows. Cautiously testing the floor beneath him before every step as he made his way across the dreary room, he made mental notes about what should be first on his "re-do" list. _First, the frame, itself. No sense in remodeling it, if it's just going to fall on our heads only a month later._

                A faint noise made him jerk his head up, bumping it on a low beam. He scowled up at it and rubbed his head furiously, "Not in this place two minutes, and I'm already sporting a bruise. This doesn't bode well, does it?" Kiley's eyes darted back down when heard that sound again, from somewhere ahead of him. _It sounds like… _giggling_?!_

                Whoever it was realized they had his attention, because he saw a small, dark form streak away from him, further into the decrepit building. _Hey, a child that young could get _killed_ in here! I've gotta get 'em out!_ No longer careful of his footsteps, he plunged into the gloom, shouting a warning, "Be careful, kid! This place isn't safe! Just wait until I can get to you, it'll be all—AHH!!" Kiley yelled as a board cracked beneath his feet and sent him tumbling into nothingness.

QoH: O_O wow… I haven't updated in… months, and just on the second chap, and im ALREADY putting poor Kiley in danger? *hits self* bad me! x_X 


	3. A Familiar Stranger

QoH: eh… hope everybodys still reading this by now… --() I wont bore you with the messed up details of my life, save for the fact that my computer crashed SEVERAL months ago (TT) and getting down here to the library is rather difficult…. so yeah () uber-thanks to Macotee and Ja Rule for the recent reviews. they basically gave me a kick in the butt i needed to write in spite of everything sends hugs out to all her lovely readers thanks to all! 0

PS: by the way, Miho Washu's the same nurse as in my prequel, "Sacrifice." please read that, if you haven't already

_Chapter 3: A Familiar Stranger_

"Mama! Mama!"

Momo Tojigamori smiled and looked up as her four-year old son, Raimareo, fondly known as "Rai" for his boundless energy, came tearing across the lawn to the small garden in which she sat, weeding periwinkles. She set the small spade next to her and tugged her gloves off, laughing a little at the sight of her best friend, Miho, scrambling to keep up. "Yes, my little lightning bolt? Have you been terrorizing Washu-san and the rest of the neighborhood again?"

"Nuh-uh!" The little boy denied it vigorously and shoved his mop of thick white-blond hair out of his eyes with an impatient hand, "I _found_ something! Come on!" He reached to try and pull her to her feet.

She stood and looked to Miho for clarification, who shrugged helplessly, "Gomen, but he lost me for a while. There wasn't enough time to find a phone booth and contact you. I know about as much as you do at this point."

Momo sighed, imagining that her child's penchant for unaccompanied exploring had, no doubt, driven her friend to the brink of insanity. She shook her head admonishingly at him, "You know better than to wander off like that, Raimareo. You could get hurt."

"I know…" he answered, looking uncharacteristically repentant. Of course, that only lasted for the span of two seconds, before he started yanking on her arm. "But somebody's _hurt_, Mama! I think it's bad! You've gotta come!"

_This_ got their attention. He liked to play practical jokes on people as much as the next rambunctious youngster, he wasn't the sort to kid around about something like that. Miho knelt before him and took hold of his shoulders as Momo ran to put her gardening things in the nearby shed, "What did you see, Rai? Do you know what happened?"

He glanced at his mother, who was dashing back to them in record time, then at his unofficial babysitter, "Yeah, it was at the old center. I wasn't the only one there; this man I'd never seen before was there, too. I guess he saw me, 'cause he started after me, yelling something I couldn't hear real good. I heard this huge CRACK," he smacked his hands together for emphasis," and he _fell_!

"Rai…" Momo started, ready to scold him again for going down there. Everyone knew that place was dangerous, for more reasons than she cared to think about.

"_Mama_!" he cried insistently, hopping from foot to foot as he looked anxiously back the way he'd come.

Miho shrugged a bit, sending her a sympathetic glance as she whispered under her breath, "May as well hold off on the reprimand for now. It's not like he'll listen, anyway, as antsy as he is."

She gave a wry half smile and muttered back, "Does he ever?" Momo then turned back to her son, "All right, get in the car."

He probably couldn't have gotten to the back door of the dark red vehicle any quicker had he teleported. She blinked, thinking to herself. _Wow. He really must be worried about this stranger. I've never seen him move so fast, and that's saying something._

__

Kiley groaned as he returned to consciousness and opened his eyes. He had to shut them immediately, though, as years of dust still drifted down on him after his fall. Attempting to shift his body in the hopes that all his limbs remained in good, working order, he had to grit his teeth when he realized his left arm felt like someone had taken a high-powered blowtorch to it from the inside out. He couldn't see it in the hazy darkness, but he assumed it was broken quite badly.

_Well, scratch that about the frame. I have to get that _floor_ fixed first, _then_ the rest._ Sitting up very, very slowly, he cradled his arm and tried to get a better look around. _How in the world am I supposed to get out of here?_ Kiley got carefully to his feet, forcing the moment of panic down as he considered his options. He looked up at the large hole he'd tumbled through, and judged it to be about eleven or twelve feet out of his reach and happened to be his only source of light. Sighing in resignation, he turned his attention to stumbling blindly through the splintered boards and miscellaneous junk that littered the floor. When he finally reached the wall, he felt around with his good arm and prayed that he'd come in contact with a door, or even a hole big enough for him to crawl through.

After searching for what seemed to him like three eternities, despite his watch's glow-in-the-dark assertion that it'd only been ten minutes, he eventually found one. The remains of a doorway, that is. Now, it was merely a deteriorating gap in the wall and, as he discovered when he crouched down to inspect its actual size, only big enough for a dog or young child. Hardly viable material for an adult human's escape. _Of course, what choice do I have? I need to get out of here and pronto, before I faint. This is most likely going to wreak havoc on my arm, but if I'm lucky, I might be able to wriggle through._

To Kiley's immense surprise, he made it through with only minimal amount of damage to his injury, even though it felt it taken at least five thousand years to do so. _Thank Kami that I've learned patience!_ Getting to his feet again, he took in his new surroundings and laughed aloud for joy when he found a stairway across the room that, he presumed, led up to the level he'd been on previously. Holding his arm close against him in an effort to keep it from moving and sending even more painful jolts to his brain, he made his way as quickly as he could toward the fairly bright light.

Momo entered carefully after her son, whom she held tightly to, should he feel the urge to dart off, and eyed the dreary front room. _What in the world could _anyone_, besides Rai, possibly want with this old place?_

Miho edged in after her and gave the building the same dubious once-over that she had. Nodding at the gaping hole in the floor a few feet away, she set her nurse's bag next to the door, "That's probably where he fell."

"Do you think he's still down there?" Momo wondered, staring down into what could've been a bottomless pit, for all she knew.

"I can't imagine how he'd be able to get out," she shrugged and inched forward in an effort to see something without, quite literally, landing in the same situation. "He's probably injured rather seriously, so simply climbing up is out of the question."

Momo nodded and knelt next to Raimareo, putting her arm around him, "I want you to stay right here by the door while we figure out what to do, okay? Will you do that for Mama?"

He glanced uneasily toward where his second favorite person in the world was making her way around what he'd deemed "the bad place." He looked back at his mother and held tight to her, his deep brown eyes even darker with worry, "I don't want you to get hurt, too, all 'cause of me."

"We'll be fine, aiji," she smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. When that didn't convince him, she tickled him lightly on the back of his neck until he squirmed and giggled. Asking him again to sit next to the door, she wiggled her fingers in front of his nose in a playful threat.

Rai grinned and nodded, living up to his namesake as usual, "'Kay, I'll stay here."

She gave him a gentle push to the door where the medical bag still sat, "Hey, you know what? You can be Washu-san's assistant. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" he plopped himself down on the threshold and opened it, ready to hand stuff out, "I'll be like a nurse, too, huh?"

Momo laughed softly at her child's enthusiasm for all new things, "That's right. When we say we need something, you can hand it to us. Now, you'll have to be quick, just like the people on TV, all right? We don't know what expect here."

"Uh huh," he tilted his head curiously, as though he'd just thought of something, "Did you call an ambulance?"

"Yes, I did," she looked out the door as she stood, hoping to see the boxy vehicle blaring its way down the street, "but they might be far away right now, so we need to help if we can."

"I've found him!" Miho called from across the room and she turned, tightening her high ponytail in preparation what would most likely be a nasty job.

She blinked when she saw her friend supporting a tall being who seemed to be made entirely of dirt, from the sight of him, "So you have. Is he conscious?"

The redhead hitched his arm up over her shoulder so she could hold him more securely, "Just barely. He somehow managed to climb through a ruined doorway into this next room and was stumbling up the stairs when I spotted him. I don't even want to think of what that had to have taken out of him."

With a glance to make sure Rai was doing as he was told, she edged along the wall until she got to their sides. She shuddered when she saw the jagged bone protruding from the arm hanging limply at his side and had to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she looked to Miho, "Can you tell if there's anything else wrong with him?"

She shook her head and looked him over again worriedly, "No, but I can't say anything about internal injuries. I think we need to get him to your car immediately, Momo."

The dust-covered stranger stirred slightly, evidently hearing snatches of their conversation. Attempting to lift his weak head from Miho's shoulder and pried his eyes open to look into hers, he croaked out a faint whisper that seemed to hold more depths of pain in it than she'd ever encountered, "Momo…?"

The women glanced at each other cluelessly and shrugged a little, chalking it up to delirium setting in.

He seemed to comprehend that they didn't know what he meant, so he tried again, obviously fighting the urge to slip into the relative comfort of oblivion, "It's really you… Kitten…" With that, his body gave in and he slid to the floor, despite Miho's efforts to keep him upright.

The nurse bent over him and situated his body so he wouldn't do any more damage to his arm, "What do you think he meant by that? Kitten? I've never heard anyone call you that before. Does he know you from somewhere?"

"It's not… possible…"

Miho raised her confused gaze to her friend, who appeared frozen to the spot, "Anou… care to enlighten me here?"

The question seemed to break her sudden paralysis, as Momo quickly got to her knees on the man's other side. Brushing away some of the grime from his hair revealed familiar dark strands and, when she applied a gentler form of the treatment to his face, she found the very same features that had haunted her regret-filled dreams for years. Sitting back on her heels with a shocked thump, she stared down at the inert form lying between them.

"Am I talking to a wall, or what?" Miho gestured in frustration as she looked over at Rai, who looked equally stumped by his mother's odd behavior. Noticing that he was itching to come over and see what all the fuss was about, she sent a silent message for him to remain where he was. Naturally unhappy about this, the curious boy sat back down, ready to dive into the black bag for whatever they might need. She turned back to Momo and waved her hand in front of her face, "Is anyone home in there?"

She came back to herself in what looked like slow motion. Even her blink seemed to take far longer than necessary as she finally answered, "It's… Kiley."

QoH: some translation Momo's son's name means "rare trust" (i like him he's modeled after a young friend of mine: Collin. they even look alike, 'cept Collin has blue eyes lol)

rai- trust, lightning, thunder

mareo- rare, uncommon

aiji- beloved child

anou- err, um, etc. basically, the sound you make when you're uncertain about something


	4. Troubled Thoughts

QoH: hm... not many people seem to be interested in this... --() sighs ah well. ill keep writing anyway. thanks to those who were kind enough to review and lemme know how im doin! oh, by the way, did ya know that the word "mama" means the same in japanese as it does in american? cool huh?

__

Chapter 4: Troubled Thoughts

Miho felt like her eyes would fall out of her head at any second as she stared at her, then at their patient and back again, "Kiley? As in the guy from the hospital nearly ten years ago? The one who got you and Toji back together? _That _Kiley?"

_The one who left that note on my doorstep... _"That would be him, yes." Momo answered flatly, looking only half as shell-shocked now that the idea had begun to sink in. Shaking that away for the moment, she got to her feet and eyed the door impatiently, "Come on. The questions can wait until we're out of this place. Where on earth is that ambulance??"

"Mama?" Rai called, seeing her look in his direction.

She smiled at him and waved, "We'll be there in a second, honey. Just wait right there for us."

"Small problem with that, Momo..." Miho stood up next to her and gestured to the unconscious man, "How do you propose we move _him_?"

"We can... carry him?" She offered hopefully, shrugging, "What other options do we have?"

The nurse put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, "I'll give you that point. We _don't _have many options, but..."

"'But' what?" Momo frowned in mild confusion, focused as she was on Kiley.

"Did you forget about that _gaping hole_?" She asked, pointing behind her friend's back, "How are we supposed to get him across _that_?"

Turning around, she groaned and made a face in annoyance, "Great. And even if he _was _awake, he wouldn't be able to walk around it, as unsteady as he was a minute ago. He'd probably just fall in again."

"Exactly," she nodded and looked up at the ceiling warily, "and I don't trust the rest of this place, either. What's to stop it from coming down around our ears right now?"

"Mama?" came Rai's voice suddenly, accompanied by a tug on Momo's sleeve. Evidently he'd snuck along the wall during their distraction, in spite of their warnings.

Momo knelt down in front of him and took his hands, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait by the door, where it's safer."

He shook his head as though that were a minor detail and grinned, "I know, but I can get us out!"

Miho joined them, her brows raised in interest, "Really? Because, if you can, I'll get you a dessert for every day of the week!"

Rai laughed, surprised but understandably delighted at this sudden reward, "Wow, cool! Can I have a triple fudge sundae with sprinkles and whipped cream?"

"Miho, don't encourage him," she warned, frowning up at her.

"Look at it this way," she gave her little friend a wink before smiling back at her, "your son here happens to know more about this place than the both of us put together. If anyone knew where to find another exit, it'd be him."

"Yeah, but...." Momo looked uncertainly from her to Rai, who was beaming with obvious pride, glad that one of his unauthorized exploits had finally come in handy to someone other than himself. Her eyes went to Kiley and winced, seeing the pained expression on his face even though he was still unconscious. She sighed and shrugged in defeat, "Well, I guess I'm out-voted, then."

In an uncommon show of restraint, her ever-exhuberant child settled for a mere "Yay!" and a fist in the air, when he normally would've jumped for joy. Momo grinned, laughing to herself. _That's one bright kid I have. No telling what might've happened if he'd gone through his usual routine of literally bouncing off the walls._

Miho chuckled a bit and gave her a hand up, "Well, come on then. We'd better get this guy out of here before we all start growing mold."

The little boy giggled and looked down at the man, his gaze serious again, "I wonder who he is. What d'ya think he was here for?"

"We'll find that out when he wakes up, won't we?" Momo replied, thinking the same thing, "As for _who _he is, that's a _very _long story."

Raimareo blinked, his eyes on her curiously, "You know him, Mama? I thought he was just a stranger. _I've _never seen him before."

Noting the troubled expression on her friend's face, Miho broke in, "We can talk about all that later. Right now, kiddo, we need you to show us how to get out, okay?"

"'Kay," he answered, still looking at his mother with a bit of worry as he started off down the hall that led further into the building, "C'mon, it's this way."

"What do you think would be the best way to carry him?" Momo wondered as her gaze drifted over her long-absent protector, though she carefully avoided having to look at his arm.

"Hm..." Miho frowned, studying him as well, "I think I should go ahead with Rai for a bit while you wait here with Kiley. I want to find out how well this place will hold up to that sort of awkward weight."

Her blonde head shot up like it was spring-loaded, eyes apprehensive, "What? You want to leave me here with him? What if he... I don't know, goes into shock, or something? Shouldn't _you _stay if we're going to split up like that? _You're _the nurse, after all."

She glanced back at Rai, who was waiting by the doorway with an odd look on his face, then bent down to her ear, "If he did, there wouldn't be much that I could do for him, not here in this dump. At this point, you're as good a choice as I am. Even better, really, if you ask me."

Momo gasped slightly so as not to alarm her son and stared up at the older woman, muttering back, "You don't think he could _die _here, do you?"

"No, I don't, but..." she shook her head as her light purple eyes went back over their patient as if she were trying X-ray vision, "that's assuming he only has the broken arm. There could any number of other injuries that we don't know about, and there's also the very high risk of infection. Kami only knows what all is in the dust that's covering him, and anything that _is _there has had ample time to incubate itself and start replicating. No doubt, his immune system is already working overtime..."

"What can I do?!" she asked, beginning to panic. Seeing Rai start over again, she forced herself to calm down and lower her voice, "I--we _can't _let him die like this."

"Well, I don't intend for him to die at all, but the longer we stand here arguing about it, the worse his chances get." Seeing her friend was still unconvinced about staying with Kiley, Miho put her hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Don't worry. From what you've told me, he's the strong-willed sort. I'm sure he'll be fine." With that, she rejoined Rai, took his hand, and let him lead her down the hall to wherever that "exit" might be.

"He _is_ that..." Momo muttered as she watched the two disappear into the musty darkness, wondering if they were going about this the right way. She eyed her old friend as though he were a mega-ton of lit TNT chained to her leg while her thoughts raced around in her brain like entrants in the Indy 500. _What if he wakes up again? What am I supposed to _say_? I haven't even _heard_ from_ _him in the last eight years... What in the world is he _doing _here, anyway? I wish Miho had done something about that arm of his. Oh, I really don't feel well..._

"Hey, gorgeous..." Kiley's faint voice broke in and she saw him watching her through heavily lidded eyes, a brave attempt at his familiar grin in place, "please tell you're gonna make like Florence Nightingale and fall head over heels for me..."

She made a face at him and raised her fist in a mock threat, "You're lucky you're already hurt; otherwise, I'd knock you into the _next _decade."

"I believe you, but still--" he went in a coughing fit, probably from all the dust, and started to roll over on his side in order to get rid of it.

Momo quickly put a stop to that, of course, with her hand on his chest, "Are you _insane_? Don't you know your arm's broken?" When he struggled, obviously having a hard time breathing in his current position, she scooted around and pulled him up so that he was half sitting, half leaning against her, his arm tucked close to him and held there with her own. It was an odd sort of embrace, if one chose to look at it like that.

Naturally, Kiley did. He huffed a little laugh and leaned his head back on her shoulder to smile teasingly up at her, "Three times you've saved my life, and each time, it's gotten better and better. If this is some sort of trend, I may have to do this more often."

"Watch it, pumpkin…" she scowled at him and reared her head back in an effort to put, at least a little, distance between them. _He hasn't changed at all…_Her heart protested, but her mind fought back, reasoning that he couldn't still feel like he did all those years ago. Still, there was that little, persistent doubt which had her stomach doing flip-flops … _but is that good or bad? Do I want him to have changed? Besides, what good is it? Even if it wasn't some sort of fluke back then, and he really… I'm married, with a son! Oh, Toji's not going to like this at _all_…_

"Ouch," he winced a bit, but whether it was from the insult or his current predicament, it was hard to say, "I see you haven't forgotten anything, either. Though, some things I wish you would have…" He coughed again.

"How am I supposed to forget that you're a pervert when you say stuff like that?"

"You could try," he grinned hopefully, reminding her strongly of the last time he'd said those exact words.

"Kiley…" she growled threateningly as she grabbed the top of his head and pointed it in the direction of the hole, "do you want me to drop you _back_ down there?"

"Aw, c'mon, Momo, you know I'm just joking," he put up a hand and smiled rather nervously, as though he wasn't all together sure that she _wouldn't_ do that to him.

"Yeah, well, it can be pretty hard to tell when you're joking and when you're not, you know," she replied and squirmed a little, getting more uncomfortable by the second. However, it was anyone's guess as to what was _causing_ that discomfort, be it physical or otherwise. It bugged her that she didn't know.

Noticing her restless shifting, he tried to sit up, "I'm sorry, you're probably getting stiff, sitting like that." He got only as far as a foot away from her before his strength gave out on him and, amid profuse apologies to her and muttered curses to himself, he fell back against her.

Momo sweatdropped, shaking her head as she held him steady, "What, do you think you're Superman, or something? You really expect to do much of anything on your own for, probably, the next several weeks?"

"Yare yare… I know that." Kiley sighed in a resigned sort of way, obviously profoundly irritated with himself, "It's just I've had to learn to deal with much worse stuff than this, but right now, I make Raggedy Ann look good. But, more importantly, I hate being a burden to you."

She forced herself to ignore the possible hidden messages in his words and shot back, "It's not like I'm going to let you overwork yourself and end up in a coma, you know. And I don't mind helping you out. After everything you've done for me, how could I do anything else?"

He gave her a half-smile and looked away, his voice suddenly much quieter, "Speaking of which, how's Toji?"

"Well, he's…" Flustered, she tried to keep her cool by taking a deep breath, "Can we not talk about him right now?"

Kiley was about to ask what was wrong, but she was saved from answering that complicated question when Miho, Rai and, at last, the paramedics burst in. Letting the professionals take over, she watched them strap him quickly to a stretcher and carry him back out the way they'd come. Shivering a bit, she rubbed her arm and stood up as the other two joined her. While her son sported a curious expression, his eyes on the "stranger," the nurse studied her with a thoughtful cast to her gaze. Momo wrinkled her nose and brushed off her clothing, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Miho answered, though it was clear she didn't mean that.

Rather than get into a discussion she sensed she didn't want to be a part of, the blonde opted for taking Raimareo's hand and following the EMTs outside. _I've got enough to worry about right now._

QoH: hehe shall i be so bold as to say that all is not quite kosher in Momo-and-Toji Land? and now that Kiley's been tossed into the mix, it certainly complicates already messy circumstances…. :D


	5. Viper Raises Her Pretty Head

QoH: by the way please note that, like this fics prequel, "Sacrifice," disregards the series past vol 2 (with the exception of Ryou, of course. i know plenty about the scuzball, so I manage), since I haven't read past it with any real continuity (read #5 and #6 from the "Change of Heart" thing, but when I did so, I was like "huh?" lol and i know jack squat about what happens beyond that) so, basically, this is pretty AU (ive never taken things so far off from the canon before) just so you all dont get confused

_Chapter 5: Viper Raises Her "Pretty" Head_

Kiley made a face and shifted his sling uncomfortably as he stepped outside after spending the last two nights in the hospital, with Mr. Shiori graciously paying the bill despite his new apprentice's expected protests. Glancing up at the dismal sky, he hoped he'd be able to make it to the antique store before it started the threatened flood. _If it does, it does... but that doesn't make it any fun._ He gave a one-shoulder shrug and started off down the street, his gaze drifting around the relatively new sights (to him at least).

He'd only gotten half a block or so, however, when he heard a car pull up beside him and someone call his name over the purr of the idling engine. He turned with a curious smile, wondering who else knew he was back in town. He knew full well that it wasn't Momo, as she'd told him the night before that she was already obligated to be somewhere else. His face fell in immense disappointment when he saw just _who_ it was.

Sae Kashiwaga, of all people, was smiling cutely up at him from her cherry-red Porsche convertible and already had her door open in an obvious invitation for him to get in. Flicking her now long black hair over her shoulder in a well-practiced flirtatious move, she jerked her head at the passenger seat, "Come on... I'm not going to kill you."

He tossed her a suspicious glance as he resumed his little stroll, "I remember you just as well as you remember me, Sae. What possible reason could you have that would make me want to sit next to you for any length of time?"

Seeing that cars were currently parked along the sidewalk not far in front of her and that he was probably not going to stop in the meantime, she got out and slammed both doors before following him. "It's been almost a decade, Kiley. How can you still be mad at me? Hey, look at me!" She snatched at his elbow and forced him to face her.

"You're lucky you grabbed the right arm," he commented in a carefully controlled tone as he shook her hand off, eyes cold and hard. "What do you want?"

_I guess those rumors about him going into the military were true. Those are the eyes of a true soldier._ She shuddered inwardly and scowled up at him in irritation, "I _want_ to know how long you're going to hold that stupid grudge against me, that's what!"

"Why shouldn't I?" Kiley asked before starting off again, unable to look at her face for more than a few moments without slugging her outright. _After everything she did to Momo, she expects me to chitchat with her like it was nothing? Not likely. _He sighed and sent up a muttered prayer for patience when she fell in step behind him, "Why can't you just go away like a good little girl? Oh," thinking about that for a second, he eyed her over his shoulder ironically before turning away, "never mind."

Sae wrinkled her nose at the insult but chose to let it slide as she looked him over appreciatively, "You look like you've done pretty well for yourself over the past few years. As frustrating as you're being right now, it's a nice view from back here."

The innuendo in her voice made him want to disappear from her sight immediately and run home to take a scalding shower. As it were, he flinched just slightly and quickened his pace, biting out, "Not even in your dreams."

Despite her efforts to keep up with him, his purposefully long strides were fast leaving her in the dust. Taking a chance on old memories, she stopped and called out to him, "Don't you want to hear about Toji and Momo? How their marriage is in trouble?"

Kiley paused for a moment and kept his gaze trained on a bird twittering on a signpost down the block, the fingers of his free hand lightly touching the ring beneath his shirt before stuffing a balled fist in his jean pocket as calmly as possible, "How would _you_ know? Last I checked, you weren't exactly at the top of her confidante list."

"Rumors spread quickly, especially when the topic is so _juicy_," she shrugged and grinned wolfishly, having found his vulnerability. _It's pathetic... after all these years, he's still ga-ga over her. This is going to be _so_ much fun!_

"And we both know you're the queen of the gossip mill," he turned back to her with a acidic smirk, seeing straight through her as always, "I'll bet you're the one who started those rumors to begin with, even _if_ they actually exist. I'm sure Momo would've told me if they were having problems."

Mildly flustered at having been found out so easily once again by him, she went on the defensive, "Maybe I did and maybe I didn't, but that doesn't change the fact that they're true. Besides, why should she tell you anything? You've been away a long time, and a lot's changed since then."

"Well it has to do with something that you wouldn't understand, so..." he approached her and, with dark eyes flaring protectively, bent close on a terse growl riddled with warning, "shut your lying mouth."

"But, I'm _not_! Ask her yourself!" Sae insisted, stomping her foot like some spoiled three-year old who wasn't getting her way.

It was then the clouds finally decided to let loose with the downpour, prompting Kiley to swing the jacket he'd had draped over his shoulders around to protect the cast on his arm. "I'm done talking to you. Go back to whatever corner you're walking and leave me alone, all right? Or..." he flicked a glance to her car which, he noted with an immense amount of satisfaction, still had the top down, "whoever the poor sap is that has the unfortunate title of your 'husband.' I hope, for his sake, the damages aren't _too_ severe."

She frowned and followed his line of sight, yelping when she saw the drenching her new black leather seats were getting before scrambling off to minimize what would surely be several hundred dollars, at least, in repairs.

_Black widow, that one..._ he shook his head and hurried for shelter as well, the chill slipping down his spine only partially due to the cold rain. _What if she really _is_ telling the truth, for once in her life? Momo, you'd tell me if something were wrong, wouldn't you?_ Flashes of her scurried through his brain as he came up on the shop, especially of when she'd found him at the center. Maybe it had been the delirium, but it'd seemed that there'd been something deep in her eyes that he couldn't quite place.... did it have anything to do with Tojigamori? Never having been a fan of the guy, even though he'd gotten the two back together way back when, he scowled and shook off what moisture he could from his coat as he stepped inside. _If you've hurt her again, your head will be my new favorite hockey puck._

"Surely, a little rain is not the cause of such a dour expression, my young friend," the owner observed mildly from behind him. He placed a vase filled with late-blooming flowers in the center of a little round table with a slight curve in it's legs and stood back to evaluate it's position.

"Gomen nasai, Shiori-san," smiling apologetically at his mentor, he hung his jacket on a hook by the door and came over to admire the profusion of color, "I had just run into an old... acquaintance out there when all this started."

"Oh?" the elderly man asked with sharpened curiosity, but kept his gaze on straightening the bouquet to his liking before moving away to take up a broom and start sweeping around the register. "It has been my experience that such a look implies one has encountered nothing less than their mortal enemy."

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" Embarrassed at his transparency, Kiley laughed and started helping with the cleaning as best he could, "Ok, here's the truth. This girl I went to school with thought it would be 'fun' to give me some disturbing information. But, since I've never trusted a hair on her sleazy head, I can't tell if she made it up or not."

"Considering what you have said of her character, and how she wounds people for sport, I would be inclined to believe that she did. However, it is always best to err on the side of caution." He leaned the broom against the counter and motioned him to the upper level of the building, where the living quarters were, "I am confident no one will brave this storm to come here, so why not be comfortable while talking about serious matters?"

He grinned and followed him up the stairs to the cozy den, "Yeah, right. You just want tea." The kettle let out a shrill whistle through the door of the kitchen just as he said those words and they both laughed.

"Too true," after pouring two cups and handing one to him, Mr. Shiori settled back into his favorite high-backed easy chair with his own and a grim expression, "but on to more important things. Tell me what she said to you."

__

"It'd be nice if I knew what's really going on here," he commented to no one in particular as he leaned his elbow against the window frame of his attic room, idly watching the wind and rain lash mercilessly outside. Unable to sleep, as restless as he was, he'd been standing there and watching the storm for the past hour or so after he'd finished talking with Shiori-san. _And even if I _were_ tired, all I'd be able to do is flop on my back like some beached fish. Man, I can't _wait_ to get this sling off._

Kiley's mind traveled back to the conversation, wondering why he got the feeling there was something he was missing. His host, while sympathetic to his plight, hadn't given him anything he hadn't already known or guessed at, but there had been something decidedly odd in his eyes at certain points. _Worried about something, just like Momo._ But, though he'd tried multiple times to get the elderly dealer to tell all, he'd given the same answer every time, "It is not my place to say." Then, he would ask some mundane question to change the subject, like what it was like in America and other countries he'd visited over recent years.

Pushing away from the wall, he resumed his pacing for a while before stopping at the makeshift desk against the opposite wall, where his most treasured possessions were kept. He pulled back the wooden folding chair and sat down at the table, flipping open the small scrapbook he'd made with his mother's letters. First and foremost, of course, was the clipping she'd sent almost six years ago. From the society pages of her favorite newspaper, it showed a large and gloriously colored, a rare occasion for the medium, picture of an "up and coming young lawyer and his radiant bride." The couple was decked out in elegant wedding attire that had probably cost a small fortune and grinning for the camera in front of a gigantic cathedral. His gaze drawn, as always, to the beautiful young woman whose gaze shone in testament to her extreme joy, he smiled slightly and propped his chin on his hand while indulging in his favorite fantasy.

_Dream Sequence_

Cheers filled the air as the newlyweds emerged from the quaint little country church to immediately be doused with confetti and flower petals. They shared a shy, private smile and waved to the crowd as they ran, laughing breathlessly, through the gauntlet to the carriage that awaited them. The two high-spirited Arabians that drew it matched the snowy color of the vehicle perfectly, and the ten-dozen fire-and-ice roses spilling over the sides were secured with bright, curly ribbons whose ends trailed only a few inches from the ground. The sight made his ecstatic angel nearly faint in awe, and he tugged her close as he smiled tenderly into her adoring doe eyes with a silent promise. _This little surprise is barely the beginning, Momo. I plan to make the rest of your life something that will make even fairy tales jealous._

_End Dream Sequence_

_Yeah, don't I wish._ Kiley chuckled slightly and shook his head, coming out of the daydream to sit back and let his fingers trace her image, admiring the dress she'd chosen. Even though the photo had faded a little with time, it still showed how well the almost blinding whiteness of the princess cut gown complimented that tawny skin he'd always loved, and the way each fair little ringlet dangled from her upswept hairdo. It all had a very... ethereal feeling to it, and every time he gave in to nostalgia and brought it out, he had the notion that he'd been lucky enough to know a miracle in flesh. It was a very humbling experience for him, really.

Which was exactly why he couldn't understand how Tojigamori had always managed to treat her as if she were just some ordinary girl, albeit one he was supposedly in love with, allowing Sae to repeatedly snow him with bold-faced lies. _I sincerely hope he's changed over the years, for you and your son's sake, Momo. Otherwise, I _will_ have to give him a royal butt-kicking. Either that, or shoot him in the face with a rocket launcher..._

And speaking of guys he couldn't stand, Kiley thought with a smirk that it was probably time to visit his family and see what they were all up to. He still wanted to get Ryou back for the rather large role he'd had in sending him off to that infernal military school in the first place. Scowling at the memories of certain self-righteous cadets who thought they owned the world just because their daddies were filthy, stinking rich and relentless drill instructors that made everyone run, climb and shoot until they dropped from sheer exhaustion. _Though, I have to admit..._ he grinned widely as he got up and wandered over to plop on the futon that had been provided for him, _it _was_ pretty funny seeing Yukimura and his cronies eat mud so many times._

While it was true some of his fellow "soldiers in training" had a superiority complex to one degree or another, if there had been a prize for inflated egos, Hinata Yukimura would've been the All-Time Grand Champion. The son of some mogul nobody had "officially" heard of, he honestly thought he would inherit the universe at some point. _Though, the pathetic thing of it was, given his family's connections... he might not have been entirely wrong. Or, at least as far as the world itself goes._ Kiley shook his head, somewhat disgusted with himself for having wandering around in the past so long, sleepless or not. He went back to the desk and tugged out his laptop, a relatively high-powered piece of equipment that had become essential to him in recent years, given the occasional "sensitive" assignment he and his friends received. _And this is just as sensitive, if a lot more personal_, he thought with resolution as he flicked it on, waited for it to boot up and typed in his password with a laugh. _It feels _weird_ doing this with only one hand. This is going to be a long night._

QoH: by the way, "Fire & Ice" is actually the name of a specific rose its white with red along the edge of the petal and, in the language of roses, is the epitome of unity. not to mention that its absolutely gorgeous! :D and i hope the length of this chap makes up for the late update... XD stupid pcs -twitch- theyre out to get meeee!!

Anhksenpaaten: -takes control- I highly doubt they wish to listen to you whine all day, hikari. I'll post this now, if you have nothing more constructive to add.

QoH: -mumbles from her soul room-


End file.
